I used to use TDK / Alps / Noble ~$50.00 pots as well as R/S $3.00 pots carbon pots until I tried a stepped attenuator. No more pots for me. There is more than a "thin veil" lifted from the sound with the stepped attenuator.
John Broskie sells an inexpensive kit.
Andrew
John Broskie sells an inexpensive kit.
Andrew
Hello from France,
Everything said here is very interesting.
I used a 100 K ALPS blue potentiometer and was pleased ... until I recently received a Digikey / PEC 100 K which is really better than the ALPS.
What kind of stepped attenuator would be better than a PEC ? 😎
Thank you alot,
Regards
Everything said here is very interesting.
I used a 100 K ALPS blue potentiometer and was pleased ... until I recently received a Digikey / PEC 100 K which is really better than the ALPS.
What kind of stepped attenuator would be better than a PEC ? 😎
Thank you alot,
Regards
ptiJean said:
Same experience here. I'll gladly eat anything I said up above regarding the PEC units. Before I saw a PEC, I couldn't justify the price. After using one, the lesser units are a waste of money.
Does the PEC-type of potentiometer ever require cleaning or lubrication (Cramolin)?
I would think that the carbon-to-carbon contact would be self-cleaning or is that incorrect?
I would think that the carbon-to-carbon contact would be self-cleaning or is that incorrect?
Andrewbee said:
That would describe my experience in a nutshell. I do agree that the PECS are great compared to just about any of the usual suspects, but a good home built attenuator will clobber just about any pot I've encountered and quite a few of the available pre-assembled stepped attenuators as well.
The very best might be realized with Shallcross rotary switches and Caddock MK-132 precision resistors. (Dales are also quite good sounding.) I am currently using Elma 24 step rotaries with older type Holco resistors (I put them together in 2000) and nothing I've heard matches them for transparency except the Shallcross/Caddock combo which will long term be more reliable.. (And even more expensive - wish I had sprung for the Shallcross switches.) Those Elma switches.... argh.....
IMO Those $3 Alps pots at RS are nothing special at all - I was not very impressed when I replaced them with some pecs and heard immediate and rather large differences in the sound quality. I think any project you've spent 20 - 100 hrs putting together, not to mention a few $$ deserves a (much) better pot.
FYI under "DIY" www.diykits.com.hk sells a cheap stepped attenuator kit for $9.00 (NO typo) - I have a couple and they are not junk. Worthwhile if you can stand the tedious assembly work required to put it together.
Thank you alot, it has raised to USD 11 🙂
By the way a question : why does my 100K PEC pot more increases on a channel ?
Both channel are not symetric :
Both starting to 0, then right channel accelerates more than the left channel (at low level volume).
At high volume both channels have same reistances.
Any idea ?
Thank you.
By the way a question : why does my 100K PEC pot more increases on a channel ?
Both channel are not symetric :
Both starting to 0, then right channel accelerates more than the left channel (at low level volume).
At high volume both channels have same reistances.
Any idea ?
Thank you.
kevinkr said:
Doesn't someone sell the same kit assembled for twenty bucks more? My time is worth more than that required for the "tedious assembly", and I haven't yet taught my 4 year old son how to solder. Maybe I should get on that...
ptiJean said:
Due to tracking and resistance tolerances between the two pots and the primary reason why I always used KA style with a separate pot for each channel - no balance pot needed. Some people don't like the inconvenience, and with stepped attenuators you can usually get away with a stereo control just fine.
Ty_Bower said:
Might well be the case, I do know of someone on eBay who sells assembled stereo attenuators for about $50 last time I checked.
Like you I really don't have the time to assemble one right now, but for someone with more time on their hands the savings might be worthwhile. I'm giving one of those kits to a friend who has plenty of time on his hands just now.. 😀
69CamaroSS396 said:
Greg: Are you still using the Angela universal xformer or did you elect another solution? I am building Poindexter's triode EL34 music machine and I am considering that xformer.
Ty, recently I found this seller on the 'bay...
vintage audiolab
I purchased my stepped attenuator (that one in my attachment) from
"kyc111" or something like that, but he doesn't seem to be doing business anymore...
Built quality was absolutely excellent.
Death to the slider...
That's odd, nobody has mentioned the other huge (and undeniable) advantage of a switched attenuator over a conventional volume control. Repeatability. There's often an optimum volume setting for a particular recording and 2dB one way or the other is wrong. With a stepped attenuator it's easy to get it right. Add to that the advantage of the image not slewing all over the place at low volume and you can see why I'll never use a "volume control" again. Oh, and did I mention perfect logarithmic law (if it's designed properly)?
That's odd, nobody has mentioned the other huge (and undeniable) advantage of a switched attenuator over a conventional volume control. Repeatability. There's often an optimum volume setting for a particular recording and 2dB one way or the other is wrong. With a stepped attenuator it's easy to get it right. Add to that the advantage of the image not slewing all over the place at low volume and you can see why I'll never use a "volume control" again. Oh, and did I mention perfect logarithmic law (if it's designed properly)?
Does anyone if by chance it is part 271-1732? If not, what is the RS part number?
Thanks.
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